Malta | week 11

Azzures Window 

Boat ride to Gozo

Regan, Chati, Anziano Rivera, and Dayman

12.8.2014

This morning we took Anziano Rivera to the airport. He went up to Rome, and tomorrow he flies home. He finished really strong here in Malta, and he will definitely be missed. We will always think of him when we walk through the skatepark from now on as we look at his final mark he left on Malta. That would be a giant Book of Mormon graffiti. No worries, graffiti is allowed in skateparks here. We will see if any fruits come from this soon. 

Last Monday morning I had a really humbling experience. We went over  to Simons home and visited with him and his wife Elena. Elena was having bad back pains, and Simon suggested that she should recieve a priesthood blessing. She was reluctant at first, but then accepted the offer. Ok, this next part may sound gross, but it taught me an important lesson. Before I went into their home, I picked a scab on my finger and it started bleeding. I washed it off really good when I first got inside, but then I had to wash it again before I put my hands on her head to give her the blessing. It was a really spiritual experience, and she began to cry after the blessing because of the Spirit that came. It was a reminder to me that the only way we can ever invite the Spirit is if our hands and our hearts are completely clean. Just like I would have never layed a bloody finger on her head, I can never act in Christs name if Im not clean. It was a great motivation to me to always stay spiritually clean so I can serve in His name. 

The second really humbling event of the week was getting to hear the story of one of our Phillipino members this week. We cannot meet her at her house because she is a single lady, so we met her in the food court of a mall near her house. She ordered us food before we got there, because she knew we wouldnt let her buy anything for us. Then she told us she invited 2 of her friends to meet with us who would be there in 30 minutes. We asked her why she was so nice to us/engaged in missionary work even though she didnt even know us well at all. She told us that when she was a teenager, her 7 year old little brother had Lukemia, and her father used all of their savings to fly him to the best hospital in the Phillippines. He had prayed that if it was possible, God would take his life instead of his sons life. Long story short, 2 days after he flew his son up, he was murdered by some drunk men, and his son ended up being one of the only Lukemia survivors of the hospital. The next week she, her other brothers, and her mom flew up to see their brother, and visit and forgive the man in prison who killed their father. She told us that her family always taught her to share her blessings with everyone, especially the missionaries. It was one of the most tender moments of my mission by far. Then we taught her friends. Great day. 

So this week we were at Maltese course, and we were reviewing the progress we have made in our time here. As I compared my progress in Italian after 3 months to my progress in Maltese after 3 months I learned an interesting lesson. I remember learning Italian was one of the most stressful things I have ever done. I felt inadequate, not smart enough, and I messed up time and time again. Maltese on the otherhand has been different. We have been studying more the like the way we studied in high school. We have memorized words, studied grammar charts and so on. I have written it down and recited it back, but I havent been trying to use it other than in the class really. It hasnt pushed me out of my comfort zone, and because of that I have barely learned any Maltese at all. I realized that the growth I have made personally on my mission has been much the same. I have grown the most when I have fallen, made mistakes, and been taken out of my comfort zone. The difference with the mission is it is teaching us how to be like Christ instead of learning a language, and we will never fully achieve that goal. It is a constant process that will take much longer than 2 years. Im so grateful for the opportunity to serve full time for two years. It is teaching to be like Christ like the MTC taught me Italian-by immersion and making mistakes. Instead of earning a grade (like school style of learning), we are growing by his grace and mercy. I know that is true because I have felt his help in so many ways each and every day. 

Presbiteru Smith